Chief Reformation Forerunner ranked 10th "most influential" Christian ever

March 25, 2012 - PRLog -- John Wycliffe was probably born in Yorkshire, England about 1320.  He died at Lutterworth in Leicestershire, England on December 31, 1384.

“You call me a heretic because I translated the Bible into the common tongue of the people.  Do you know whom you blaspheme?  Did not the Holy Ghost give the Word of God at first in the mother-tongue of the nations to whom it was addressed?  Why do you speak against the Holy Ghost?”  (Wycliffe)

John Wycliffe has correctly been called the “Morning Star of the Reformation.”  He was a powerful voice that spoke out against the errors being taught in the church.  Through his words and actions Wycliffe paved the way for many other church reformers who would follow in his footsteps, holding to the truth of God’s Word, even in the face of death.  His greatest work was translating the Bible into English.  He also was one of the first Christian leaders/ pastors to question the ultimate authority of the Pope.

Wycliffe died in 1384, but under a decree from the Pope his body was dug up and burned in 1428, with his ashes being dispersed in a nearby river.  These actions beget close to two centuries of various persecutions, on both sides, in Europe and especially in England.

Between 1581 and 1588 sixty-four Catholic priests were executed in addition to some laymen and two women for their part in harboring Catholic priests.

"One fact that you have to acknowledge when you review Church history is the ugliness and persecution, which the life of Wycliffe helps define.  These days we (Christians) don't like to think about or discuss these former acts- but these are part of our combined history.  In the book, we do mention some of these occurences- as its impossible to have a real discussion about history without some of the unpleasant parts of it," states book co-author Ken Lambert.

Co-author Abby Matzke details her goals for the book.  "We hope that the average adult Churchgoer will be able to pick up the book, and read it fairly quickly, while getting a much better understanding of how the Church developed throughout the past 2,000 years, and hopefully they will have a better understanding of their Faith as well.  Similarly, we believe that the book is an excellent learning tool for high school and college students,".

In fact, the book is being featured in the "Ultimate 2012 Home School Expo"- with more information found at  http://mediaangels.com/expos/.

A recent review of the book by evangelist, author, and doctorate in theology Rev. Jeff Lowe points to the keys of the book-
"The "Top Ten Most Influential Christians" is an excellent compilation of history. It contains concise but informative snapshots of the lives of people who have changed the way people view the Word of God. It sheds light on the ‘whys’ of  major and minor divisions in widespread beliefs of Christianity and the men who helped cement religious ways of thinking without author bias. It also goes further and includes more knowledge nuggets with the next 11-20. This easy read is a great reference of history without digging up into volumes of biographies. To know where you are going, this book helps to know where you have been".  

"Top Ten Christians" is now available for sale at the following online stores-
http://buy.christianbookstoday.org/
www.truthbookpublishersstore.com

For more information on the book, the survey, and the contributing writers, please visit the book Blog page at www.toptenchristians.wordpress.com.